Advantages of recumbent bicycles have been known to those of the bicycle art for many years. It is generally acknowledged that bicycles of recumbent configuration have a potential for greater riding comfort and speed than "conventionally" configured bicycles. Nonetheless, recumbent bicycles of the prior art are generally awkward to ride, and significant practice is required of experienced riders of conventional bicycles to transition to them. Many of these bicycles, of both the short and long wheel base classification, have their handle bars for steering mounted on a pivot point beneath the rider. Others, generally of long wheel base configuration, have handle bars extending rearward from steering shafts mounted in a steering head positioned well forward of the rider with the result that the riders hands sweep through a large radius arch, in the manner of a tiller control, when steering rather than rotating about a near central pivot point as is typical of a conventional bicycle.
Many recumbent bicycles of the prior art have been provided with seats supported by telescoping structures which are adaptable to be ridden by riders of only a very limited range of leg lengths. Often the seats move only horizontally and are very close to the ground, which makes support of the bicycle when at rest awkward for longer-legged riders. Other recumbent bicycles of the prior art, while incorporating seats with inclined movement, have utilized under the seat steering making the bicycle difficult to mount for riders of all leg lengths.
Quality, light-weight recumbent bicycles of the prior art have generally been expensive to produce. To provide sufficient rigidity, they have employed space frames composed of numerous frame elements which require many accurate welds and are thus labor intensive to produce. If a manufacturer of such a recumbent offers models incorporating varied features, such as a different wheel base or a tricycle configuration, a different frame incorporating substantially or entirely different frame elements from those of the base model must be produced. This requires preparation of new production drawings, production of the new elements and new jigs for their assembly.